Gwalwa Daraniki Association chairperson and Larrakia Traditional Owner Helen Secretary says she doubts an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will make any difference as we already have elected members who are Indigenous

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We did just catch up with Richard Fijo larak Here
elder and also Darwin Waterfront Corporation chairman about why he
will be voting yes in the upcoming referendum. Now, the
aim of our discussions this morning, you know, it's not
like we're not having these discussions, you know, to sort of,
you know, to create a debate where people are going, oh,

(00:21):
I'm doing this or I'm doing that. It's more actually
to hear from some well respected territorians about why they're
voting a certain way and to hopefully inform you either
way and really get your thinking so that you do
go out there and do a bit of research yourself
before your head to the Pulse on October fourteen. And

(00:42):
joining me on the line right now is gol Darren
Inky Association chairperson and also Lara Kie, a Traditional owner,
Helen's secretary. Good morning to.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
You, Helen. Good morning Caden.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Lovely to have you on the show. Now, Helen, I
know that my understanding is that you are going to
be voting no at the upcoming referendum. Explain to us why.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Well, a lot of it falls back to when my
old laroche of people that started this raising the flag
and a Larochia petition, fighting for a treaty where they
could have rights and voices for their country and pushing

(01:29):
forward to be independent, to achieve their goals for their
people and their country. Understand my understanding of this vote
a referendum is we already have three senators, we already

(01:57):
have about a dozen parliamentarians. We have Land Council, we
have local and state, territory and federal. We have the
un We have non government organizations, sporting bodies, we have universities,
we have TV and newspapers stations, we have businesses, sports, music,

(02:20):
fashion and politics. Now my understanding and why I won't
support it is I still believe in what the old
people have always taught us. You look after country, country
looked after, looked after you, your determination to be self
responsibility on making decisions on your own country. Now, going

(02:43):
back to the referendum for a voice vot yess Indigenous
people around Australia, we receive forty billion dollars of tax
pays money every year to help house education, employment and training.

(03:05):
And that still isn't where this Commonwealth government, the federal
government is not looking after First Nations people. I think
to me it's very disrespectful that we all as Australian
were a multi cultural country and we should be proud
as one. Australia didn't get built just by our first

(03:28):
nation people. We had help. We were a mixed race.
We are indigenous and we are the first nations people
from our ancestors. But give the rights back to the tribes,
the traditional owners of their lands. Are them what they want?

(03:49):
They can benefit by utilizing their land for the benefit
of their people. Are them? Yet we're supposed to have
voices in Parliament like senators, parliamentarians for backbenches. We have
ministers that are Indigenous. They are supposed to be our voice.
We don't see them. We only see them when the
election times comes around. In regards to this referendum, we've

(04:14):
gone and had double a come out once last month
to do a questionnaire on our people that color like
and minrama in regards to how do they feel about
the voice? Do you understand the voice? And paid them
twenty five dollars each I did it. I told them

(04:36):
to keep their twenty five dollars because we need more understanding.
But for our people that don't understand and have always
supported of going forward, to be independent creating economic development.
I will give you an example. We're an indigenous organization.
My grandparents and larrycare people fought they were given SBLI purposely.

(05:01):
Then they change it to a grim lease of perpetuity
that was handed back by Paul Everingham. Our organization for
over twenty years have not received any funding direct. Our
business is indigenous housing. We have a nursing home, Indigenous
nursing home, the only Indigenous nursing home in Darwin. Yet
we pay our rates, we pay our taxes, we pay

(05:23):
our super with pay our word en sewage and that's
not from government funding. We're using our land and as
the custodian of eye sights of this land is protective.
Give the rights back to the traditional liners of their country,
give them a treaty, work with them to achieve economic development.

(05:44):
Instead of saying we are the First Nation's people and
we don't get no support. But for me to say
what I'm going to say, people may get offended, but
a lot of our First Nation people we have ethnic
genes in us too. I'm not just here. I'm Kiery
and I'm proud that my father was Greek, but he
helped build this country, and as a multicultural country, we

(06:07):
should be working as one. Indigenous people, we don't live
in a time capsule, We don't live in under huts.
We have essential services. We live in a house that
has fared a lot of us work and we pay
our taxes. And where do you think our taxes go
into the forty billion dollar pool that organizations scared every

(06:29):
year to look after Indigenous people? So hells naked people, so.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
Helen by the sounds of it, you don't feel as
though the voice is going to make a difference for
Indigenous people.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Know why we have representatives now that are supposed to
be our voice. The federal government is giving forty billion
dollars to all these agencies, land counsels and abi iba
where Indigenous people can go and apply for a loan
to create their own business so they are independent. We

(07:05):
have funding for health centers. We have opportunities where our
kids can go to unis that they don't have to
pay twenty five thousand dollars but actually get paid ads
study to attend where non Indigenous people have to pay
to attend unis. Tell me have housing. Money is given

(07:26):
to channels through local governments in the territory through can
camps where we need R and M done to our housing,
we need municipal services, rubbish removal, parts and gardens. We
have all that, So why should I support a voice
that don't live on Glassroots on country where I live now,

(07:49):
Lary Care country where I'm sitting talk for us thousands
and thousands that kilometers away that don't know Glassroots and
what Usigenous people are fighting for independence two for determination
to do better for our people and to get INDEPENDENTI

(08:12):
you then have self responsibility and that's what we're aiming
to do.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
Well.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
Why would we have another voice that's waste of tax
pays money when we have Indigenous senators and we have
Indigenous parliamentarians and Indigenous menaces in the northern territories that
are supposed to be our voice.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
Helen, I do want to ask you, you know, what
do you say to people that think the voice? And
I've asked you and Richard pretty similar questions because I
want to give people the opportunity, you know, to hear
things from both sort of sides of the spectrum.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
You know, what do you.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Say to those out there who do think that the
voice is going to be like an elitist representative group
that is more.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Is going to be The Voice is going to be
divisive and it will cause a lot of racial problems.
And like I said, I have three nationalities in me,
My kids have different nationalities. My grandkids have Greek, Lebanese, White, Australian,

(09:16):
Indigenous Laroche and TV blood runs in them like other
Indigenous people around Australia. It is going to be divisive
because to me, it seems like this voice is about
what First Nation people want. Now, hang on, We're written
in the Australian Constitution that the First Nation people were

(09:39):
the first people here. But we don't live in a
time capsule. We live in the twentieth century where avenue
people do get assistance the federal government at a taxpas money,
your tax paying money, my tax paying money, like other
Indigenous people that work and non Indigenous people that make Australia. Helen,

(10:00):
what do.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
You say to people though, who you know who who
feel as though this is needed, that you know that
the voice is needed and that constitutional recognition is needed.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
But don't we have close in the gap and reconciliation.
What happens to that if this voice gets a yes vote,
that lapses, so the forty billion dollars goes away and
then renegotiate. I don't see it like that and I
don't support it. To me, it's divisive. We're supposed to
be all Australians. If it wasn't for the immigrants and

(10:33):
ethnic groups that have come to Australia that help make Australia,
we wouldn't be here today. Australia is a proud country.
Do we want it to be a divisive and racist country?
I don't support that, Helen.

Speaker 1 (10:46):
How do you reckon Territorians are going to vote?

Speaker 2 (10:50):
Well, I hope they vote, know, because at the end
of the day, really our votes don't count. But that's
how I feel when you have a look at the
majority of Indigenous people. We all live in the Northern
Territory and we have a ride. You know. I heard
respect for Richard and I've heard how he grew up. Well,

(11:12):
I can say this. I grew up here at Colak
since I was six and four tin sheds. Before that
was a yellow tent with my old people until they
got the land back, and with our four tin sheds
with two shutters living beside a big billibong, and then
in the afternoons, the fog machine would come to eradicate,
try to eradicate the mosquitoes. And we lived and we survived.

(11:33):
But you know what, we're in the twentieth century now.
We don't live in sheds, we don't live in huts,
and we are supposed to be all Australians. And for
people to say that First Nations people need more look
at the agencies so that allocate access. Is that forty
billion dollars and ask them where the hell is all
the money going to if it's not going to the

(11:54):
First Nations people.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, Helen's secretary, I always appreciate your time. I do
want to ask you though, before I let you go,
same as what I the same as what I asked
Richard to end our interview. What do you say to
those Aussi's today, those territory ins that are listening this morning,
that are you know, that are sitting on the fence.
They're not one hundred percent sure which way to vote,
They're not one hundred percent sure what they're going to

(12:18):
do when October fourteen rolls around, Well, like.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
I vote know, and I hope everyone else vote know,
because this will be very divisive and there hasn't been
a full on understanding about this process, but I still
continue to believe what my grandfather, Bobby's Secretary and the
Lara Kia people wanted a treaty. But this is a
no for me. Like I said, there is money already

(12:45):
being looked. I'm there being available for Indigenous people. We
live in houses, but at the end of the day,
it's about our First Nations people being responsible as well.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Helen Secretary, I really appreciate your time this morning. Thank
you very much for speaking with us.

Speaker 2 (13:05):
As always, thank you for having me on.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Thank you, thanks so much. Bye now.